Far too often in alternative music, the heavier, more abrasive side gets pushed so far to the fore that it’s easy to forget that a softer, more introspective counterpart even exists. On Greater Pyrenees’ self-titled debut though, the roles have been reversed with the end result being some truly immersive folk-rock.

Led by Greg Kirkpatrick, formerly of Mississippi indie rockers Colour Revolt, Greater Pyrenees paint with much broader strokes, with the likes of ‘Noise (Near Miss)’ constructed from passionate acoustic guitar bashes and a generally all-encompassing vibe. It’s an album very much focused on rustic, organic feeling in both its instrumentation and Kirkpatrick’s lush, Dallas Green-esque vocals.

In fact, there are more than a few streaks of City and Colour that run throughout ‘Greater Pyrenees’, such as the pensive indie-country of ‘Close’ and the folky jangle of ‘In Two’. And while occasionally it may drift a bit too close to over-similarity for comfort, it’s hard to deny the sheer loveliness and depth that’s on offer.

Unlike Green’s project though, there’s a tendency for Greater Pyrenees to become fixated with repetition, leading to some unfortunate barren patches such as the pedestrian plod of ‘In The Morning’. These moments are thankfully outnumbered by those of quality though, and the majority of this album is incredibly easy to get lost in. At the very least, there’s enough to Greater Pyrenees to definitely warrant a good few listens, and some new fans will definitely be picked up along the way.

3/5

‘Greater Pyrenees’ by Greater Pyrenees is released on April 15th on Procrastinate Music Traitors.

Greater Pyrenees links: Facebook|Twitter

Words by Luke Nuttall (@nuttall_luke)